Pasco groups hold holiday homeless vigil

For most people, this is a stressful time - what with trying to find that last-minute gift for that hard-to-shop-for relative, sorting out travel plans and trying not to gain too much weight over the holidays.

There are several thousand Pasco residents who are free of those burdens. Instead, their biggest concerns are about not freezing to death, not being attacked in the night and scrounging for something to eat.

On Tuesday, dozens of West Pasco's homeless population got an early holiday gift of generosity and spiritual warmth as the Caring Hearts Group, in cooperation with the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, hosted the annual Pasco County Homeless Day Vigil.

The Rev. Dunstan Kalumba, pastor of the Miracle Center, 5901 U.S. 19, took the point in organizing this year's vigil. He explained it is held on Dec. 21 not to contrast with the festive mood of the holidays, but to make symbolic use of the winter solstice.

"This is the longest night of the year," Kalumba said. "That's why we're doing the homeless vigil today."

The Miracle Center is dedicated to helping the area's homeless population. Its members provide supplies and food, they go out to the homeless camps, they provide transportation - it is a year-round mission for them, as it is for many churches and agencies in the area.

Tuesday's event was in some ways more of the same. Throughout the day, in the parking lot of the small shopping plaza the Miracle Center calls home, there were bundles of clothing, personal hygiene items, toys and blankets for homeless people to take with them. They could get a hot meal on the spot and some energy bars for later.

Career Central had one of its mobile units on hand so people could look for work, and radio station TheJoyFM provided inspirational music.

As much as the physical supplies, people who are homeless need inspiration, Kalumba said. They need to feel human kindness, and they need to have their dignity replenished.

One of the homeless coalition's portable shower trailers was set up and ready to go, and stylist June Walker was giving free haircuts.

"Some of these people haven't had a shower in a month," Kalumba said. Most people take it for granted, but you can't underestimate the psychological boost from getting cleaned up, he said.

Walker was one of more than 70 volunteers who made the day possible, Kalumba said, along with the many businesses and agencies that contributed.

A good example, he said, was Harry Bernard, owner of the plaza, for allowing the space to be used for the event. Bernard responded it truly was a pleasure to do so.

"If we can be a beacon of light in the community, we're thrilled," Bernard said. "We're more than happy to do anything we can to help those who are less fortunate."

Speaking from a spiritual point of view, it was an honor to be able to offer the facility to such a cause as the homeless vigil, Bernard added.

Dozens of homeless people will leave the event cleaned up, with some means of keeping warm and some food in their stomachs, Kalumba said. On a more symbolic, level, the event put a human face on a problem that is too often talked about in terms of statistics. "What we're doing here today is a drop in the ocean," he said.

What West Pasco needs is homeless shelters and transitional housing, Kalumba said. "People bring in dogs when it's too cold, but there's no place for people."

The event culminated just before sundown with a candlelight vigil. After a few words by the Rev. Leonard Lord, the senior pastor of Port Richey's Light of the World Tabernacle, balloons were released in remembrance of the homeless people who died on the streets and in the woods of Pasco County during the past year. That total included more than two-dozen John and Jane Does.

To find out more about the Caring Hearts Group, call 727-232-0060 or visit www.thecaringhearts.webs.com.